Collaborations Between Cape's Fishers and Scientists a Topic at International Event

You've probably heard of the Slow Food movement, but you may not have heard of Slow Fish. It’s an international gathering that happens once a year, focusing on promoting a sustainable, non-industrial approach to bringing fish from sea to table.

Nichols's work often centers around bringing these two groups together to discuss challenges to the ocean environment that include environmental changes and human impacts.

He says, because of the Cape's small-scale fisheries and his research center's year-round presence, these conversations can start much more casually and develop more naturally, as the two groups work toward improving relationships. In the face of climate change impacts on the ocean, the goal for both fishers and scientists, Nichols says, is the same: to ensure that we have a sustainable fishery in the future.

Steve Junker speaks with research experts about aspects of our coastal environment for our regular feature The Pelagic Report. Audio of this week's report is posted above - give it a listen.

Whale watching from Cape Cod beaches? Yes you can. Dr. Charles "Stormy" Mayo, of the Center for Coastal Studies, says that we have remarkable opportunities to see endangered North Atlantic right whales from local shores.

Winter may seem like a dormant season in our region, especially in local waters, but there can be a lot going on that’s not easily seen. This is the time of year that Right Whales typically begin to show up in Cape Cod Bay, and as best we understand, they come for the food – the plankton that will soon be starting to bloom.